Painting an Oil Slick Effect

[gmvader]

I had this idea that I would paint a black dragon so that his wings and scales look like they are shimmering the way an oil slick does, with the pale rainbow of colors. The problem is I have no idea how to get that effect out of paints. I'm aware of color shift paints but I'd like to use traditional paints to get the effect. 

 

Here's a picture kind of what I'm talking about: 

 

Does anybody have any ideas or advice. Has any body tried this before? What did you try? How did it go? I've looked around and haven't found advice on this anywhere else so I thought I'd seek wisdom here.

 

I'll probably do several tests once I have some ideas of what to try so any suggestions that anybody might have are welcome.

[Chris Palmer]

I have done something like this before, but sorry, I used Color Shift paint. (Folk Art Color Shift "Black Flash" to be exact.).  

 

Anyway, I know this isn't what you're looking for, but I thought I'd show the results anyway in case others who read this thread are open to using Color Shift.  It's not as dramatic as your photo, but definitely visible.  (Figure is Reaper's Carnivorous Pudding)

 

[gmvader]

Which color shift paints did you use? I might be willing to pick one or two up and test them on something. That carnivorous pudding looks pretty great.

[Chris Palmer]

53 minutes ago, gmvader said:

Which color shift paints did you use? I might be willing to pick one or two up and test them on something. That carnivorous pudding looks pretty great.

 

 

Folk Art Color Shift "Black Flash".  And thank you for your kind words regarding the figure. 

 

Here's my painting blog post on the figure: http://allbonesabout.blogspot.com/2019/06/carnivorous-pudding-and-acidic-ooze.html

Note, the Carnivorous Pudding figure is black/dark grey to begin with.  If I was doing it on a regular figure I would definitely paint a black base coat, and put the color shift over it.

 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Chris Palmer

[ernieball22]

3 hours ago, Chris Palmer said:

This came out great! Did you brush on the color shift paint, or was it airbrushed? 

 

My experiences with this sort of paint from other places is that it needs to go on a black gloss base and that it works a whole lot better when airbrushed. 

[SotF]

Another thing that works for an oily look is to get metallic gloss black and pearlizing medium, mix them up and you have a similar effect. Base in the black, then with later coats you work in more of the medium.

 

I've got a few pieces with oil pools packed up somewhere from my old GorkaMorka terrain, trying to find them.

[Chris Palmer]

4 hours ago, ernieball22 said:

This came out great! Did you brush on the color shift paint, or was it airbrushed? 

 

My experiences with this sort of paint from other places is that it needs to go on a black gloss base and that it works a whole lot better when airbrushed. 

 

Thank you!  It was applied with a brush. 

[Seahawk]

I painted a pair of the smaller black oozes to look that way.  Since they are already dark translucent plastic, I just lightly painted red, yellow, green, and purple along the various raised bits (the smaller oozes are more "ropey"), but not painting them the entire length or going for full coverage, and letting the other colors sometimes break up the pattern.  Then I brushed on gloss varnish.  I can't tell now, but I might have used metallic paints.  They were definitely brighter colors.

 

They are a completely different effect to Chris Palmer's, but they give you the effect of reflected color and look decent from tabletop distances. 

 

For the dragon you might just paint it randomly like your oil slick, then drybrush it over with black until it's mostly covered?  Maybe paint it glossy black and glaze it with your brighter colors?

Edited May 8, 2022 by Seahawk

[lexomatic]

There's a certain kind of artist paint-I forget the exact type,  but Pingo introduced me by using some. I only have blue. You layer it over a background- white or black- to different effect. Big $ layout for a specific project (bigger bottles than Reaper at 10$ Cdn a pop) but if you have a few of them could be a cool effect.

 

Edit. The kind I have is Golden Interference paint. But also maybe too close to color shift for OP.

Edited May 8, 2022 by lexomatic

[gmvader]

Thanks for the responses, all. I'm definitely reconsidering the color shift paints after seeing the result that @Chris Palmer got on his. The Golden Interference paint sounds interesting as well.

 

@Seahawk that sounds like some solid advice. It sounds like I need to paint a few test pieces and see how it comes out...